


Fish and butterflies in the kitchen

by kirisame (taotrooper)



Category: The Sandman, xxxHoLic
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 05:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotrooper/pseuds/kirisame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dream and Delirium try to find clues about Destruction's whereabouts in a certain wish shop. This would happen in the middle of Brief Lives (volume 7) in Sandman, and after The Eye Incident in xxxHOLiC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fish and butterflies in the kitchen

**Author's Note:**

> As you'd guess, yume-oh means Dream King in Japanese, while senmou-hime can be roughly translated as Lady Delirium. The title -hime is not only valid for princesses, but also for noble ladies.

Yuuko looked frantic over the visitors, Watanuki thought. They seemed like ordinary persons with tacky fashion sense, but he knew better now. They'd probably be higher spirits, since they were definitely not human.  
  
He approached them, who were sitting with their boss on the _tatami_ , holding the tray.  
  
"Uh... can I offer you something to drink or eat?"  
  
"Sake for me, dear," Yuuko replied. "Do you want something, _Yume-oh_? _Senmou-hime_? My boy can prepare you anything you want."  
  
The man turned at him. He was so pale Watanuki thought he was an albino, but his hair was as black as the trenchcoat and jeans he was wearing. There was nothing royal in him, but he was definitely elegant and arrogant in his own way. He really could be a king.  
  
Then he saw the man's eyes, and Kimihiro had to contain a scream. He had never seen eyes such as those. They were empty and dark, like the night sky, but there was some charming shine in them at the same time. Like stars, maybe.  
  
"Just tea, thank you," he smiled to the boy. He seemed to be used to mortals and their reactions. "What about you, sister?"  
  
Then the girl -or at least she looked like a girl, but she could be centuries or even milleniums older than Watanuki, and she certainly was- stopped talking nonsense with Maru and Moro. He realized her hair kept changing its colors while she moved. He had to blink a couple of times.  
  
"Well... I'd like strawberry shake with a pretty umbrella, maybe purple. I like purple, it's like red and blue, but darker. I like colors. They're nice."  
  
"Yuuko-san, we don't have strawberries left..."  
  
"Oh, that's a problem. My Lady, would you like Coke instead? We have chocolate cake, also."  
  
"Okay! Chocolate tastes good. Um... I want to keep the rabbit. It's... black and it... has no nose. Cute. I've always wanted a pet but they don't let me."  
  
"I apologize, hime, but Mokona Modoki has work to do here."  
  
"Don't bother them, sister Delirium," her brother told him with a cold tone.  
  
Watanuki was tired of the whole thing, so he slowly walked to the kitchen. The sister was insane, clearly.  
  
"...okay. Can I play with the rabbit?"  
  
"Sure! Maru and Moro can join you, too. Right, girls?"  
  
"Yes! ♥"  
  
Just what he needed: an army of multicolored children making noise.  
  


* * *

  
  
The witch was now alone with the Dream King, so they could cut to the chase.  
  
"So, what brings such an important entity like you to this place, _Yume-oh_? It's a pleasure to finally meet you and your younger sister."  
  
"I've heard you're acquainted with some of the members of my family, Ichihara Yuuko."  
  
"That's right. Actually, since today I can say I know them all, which is a great honor. Because of my situation I've chatted with your older sister, Death, a couple of times. Maybe they could say we're friends: we've even drunk together and shared some fashion tips. I see your twin siblings, Desire and Despair, almost daily, since my business is deeply intertwined with their realms. I can't say the eldest, Destiny, likes me so much. I just went once to his garden, and I was just escorting my colleague. He was the one in speaking terms with your brother. And..."  
  
"Destruction," interrupted Dream.  
  
"Yes, I've met him, too. I stumbled to him by chance, though. It wasn't for professional issues."  
  
"We're looking for him. Well, no, my sister is. I'm just following around to take care of her."  
  
"But you don't want to find him. Am I right? Why are you on this crusade, when you wish for something that has nothing to do with it?"  
  
"You'll tell me, Witch. Wishes are your business."  
  
They were interrupted by Watanuki, serving the drinks. After he was gone, Yuuko went on, sake in hand.  
  
"The Endless' minds don't work like mortal ones. I'm afraid I cannot figure you out. But it seems you might be in peril, or will be."  
  
"I'm aware. So, do you know where Destruction is?"  
  
"I last saw him fifty years ago, so I'm not sure of his current location. I think he mentioned about moving to America next, so perhaps you should search for him there. I doubt he stayed there long, though. He keeps moving around so you can't trace him. He doesn't want to be found, Dream King."  
  
"I'm aware of that."  
  
"I'd advice you to leave him alone. Seeking Destruction brings chaos, and maybe you'll pay a high price for something you never wished for. Even the Endless aren't able to avoid karma, my Lord."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For the advice or for the information?"  
  
"For the tea." His eyes glowed.  
  


* * *

  
  
When Watanuki returned to the kitchen, he found the salmon he was going to cook for dinner swimming around in midair. Actually, there were twenty salmons of different colors going around. He ducked when one almost crashed with his head.  
  
"What the...?!"  
  
"You don't like fishies?"  
  
He turned around, just to see the girl looking at him. He jumped.  
  
"No, I don't! I have to cook one of them! Oh, and your Coke and cake are in the living room."  
  
"I know. I turned them into fishies..."  
  
Watanuki sighed. Delirium got closer to him, until their faces were a couple of inches away. Then he noticed one of the girl's eyes was green, and the other one was blue.  
  
"Your eyes are weird. You only have one and a half, and the half is not yours. I think."  
  
"Look who's talking! Your eyes are as weird as mine!! Or worse!"  
  
"But I like my eyes... Don't you like your eyes, too? Even if they're not all yours?"  
  
Watanuki blushed in both anger and embarrassment.  
  
"Fix the kitchen now!" He changed the subject.  
  
She turned the salmons into butterflies. Watanuki wasn't pleased.  
  


* * *

  
  
After they left, Watanuki approached Yuuko.  
  
"Yuuko-san?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What were those nutcases? Spirits?"  
  
"More than that."  
  
"Gods, then?"  
  
"More than that. Gods stop existing when people forget about them. However, they existed before gods, and they don't depend on mortal faith to exist. They were here before we came, and they'll stay here when we're gone. They're Endless."  
  
"I don't think I understand... It's like immortals?" He tilted his head.  
  
"Something like that, yes. But more than that, also."  
  
"Meh, I give up. Yuuko-san?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What do we do with the stupid butterflies in the kitchen?"  
  
"Let's take a net and hunt them. Then we'll put them in the cove of treasures."  
  
"Okay, that sounds reasona--- WHAT?!"  
  
Yuuko laughed.


End file.
